1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electrical connector, especially an electrical connector having functions of locking with and unlocking from a mating connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
This kind of electrical connector is disclosed in, for example, the below-mentioned Patent Document Number 1. In the Patent Document, an electrical connector comprises a resiliently flexible locking arm extending diagonally from both side faces of a housing. The locking arm has a lock portion, which engages a mating connector, at an intermediate position on the base side thereof in its extension direction, and an operative portion, which releases the engagement with the mating connector, on the free end side thereof.
When the electrical connector is plugged in the mating connector, the lock portion resiliently flexes to climb over an engagement portion of the mating connector. At the point where the lock portion has climbed over the engagement portion, the lock portion is released from the resilient flexibility so that the locking arm engages the engagement portion, thus completing the lock to prevent the coming off of the electrical connector. For removal of the connector, the locking arm is resiliently flexed toward a side wall of the housing by applying force to the operative portion to release the engagement. Then, the electrical connector is taken out from the mating connector.
Patent Document No. 1: Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Number 4-35370
For the purpose of firm locking engagement with the mating connector upon completion of the plug-in operation, the minimum amount of flexibility or displacement of the lock portion is required. In the Patent Document No. 1, since the lock portion is positioned on the base side of the locking arm and the operative portion is positioned on the free end side, the amount of displacement of the operative portion must be larger than that of the lock portion according to the principle of a fulcrum. Consequently, the electrical connector becomes large in the direction of the displacement of the locking arm, and also since the locking arm is long, the electrical connector becomes large in the direction of the extension of the locking arm too.
Therefore, one of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a small-sized electrical connector with resilient arms having functions of locking engagement and release of the locking engagement.